Theory of Iwad as an Explanation for Gratuitous and Pointless Evils

Abstract

The evidential arguments from evil present some of the most compelling challenges to theism. Among these arguments, the ones centered around gratuitous and pointless evils are particularly significant. Edward H. Madden and Peter Hare formulated an argument based on gratuitous evil, while William Rowe advanced arguments based on pointless evil. Although Madden and Hare proposed their argument in the sixties and Rowe in the seventies, there is a theory within Islamic thought that can shed light on the concept of gratuitous and pointless evil. The theory proposed to elucidate these types of evil is the theory of iwad (compensation). In this article, I will delve into gratuitous and pointless evils are the kinds of pain and sufferings that requires iwad.